Lost In Between The Tides
by dinochainsaw
Summary: RoChu; Character death. Ivan is dying, and we both know it. I don't want him to leave me alone in this world. I only wanted to be with him, either we'd live forever or die together. I guess not everyone gets a happy ending, huh?


***A/N: Okay, so this story is based on a superstition, if you will. I'm from an island, a very small island, near Guam. It's called Palau, where the superstition is believed. Anyways, the superstition is that when someone is about to die, they will die in the "in between" time of the tides. The in between time is, obviously, when it's in between high tide and low tide. The weird thing is, this superstition is strangely accurate. My grandmother passed away during the "in between" time of the tides. And so did a lot of other people. Thanks for reading and please review.**

***DISCLAIMER: No, I do NOT own Hetalia.**

Yao always knew the day would come when Ivan would pass away. He knew that every human being died, that it was the mere cycle of life. He knew tomorrow was promised for no one, and that you couldn't ever say there was a 0% chance of not dying at the very moment you were in.

Yao knew no one could get out of this world alive.

Everyone knows this.

But, not everyone is prepared for someone's death. Even when the doctors told him that Ivan had diabetes, he wasn't prepared. He tried to forget everything they told him; he tried to convince himself that Ivan would live forever. Even though he knew he was lying to himself, that not only would Ivan eventually die, he'd die of something he can't stop. There were other ways to die, weren't there?

Murder, car accidents, suicide, etc. Not that Ivan would ever commit suicide.

But that was besides the point. Ivan now had a higher probability of dying of something that he couldn't help. After all, Ivan didn't like anything sweet or sugary. It was something passed down in the family; his grandfather, aunt, uncle, and great grandma on his mother's side had diabetes as well. And he had way more relatives on his father's side that had diabetes!

The thing that mattered was that they all _died_ from it.

But Ivan wouldn't, right? He'd live with Yao forever or they'd die together, right? Because the day the met, they couldn't even imagine a day without the other.

So Ivan_ couldn't_ die, right?

* * *

_"Is there a... Mr. Wang?Mr. Yao Wang?"_

_I looked up from the magazine I'd been flipping through. There were no interesting articles or advertisements, but the feel of the pages lightly scraping against my fingertips was enough to keep me distracted. I placed the magazine on the chair next to me and made my way towards the doctor who just called my name._

_"This way."_

_He began to walk down the large hallway that connected to other smaller ones. It was a longer-than-usual walk; the room Ivan was being held in was one of the furthest from the waiting room. With every step I took down the intricately connected hallways, my heartbeat raced a bit faster. My breath quickened and my pace slowed. I almost didn't want to go into the room. I knew that I was about to hear important news, either positive or negative._

_Finally, we arrived at Ivan's room._

_The doctor opened the door for me, staring at his clipboard as I walked through the doorway and gave Ivan a hug. The room was filled with "How are you?" 's and "You feeling okay, aru?" 's. Ivan replied to all of my questions of his health with a smile and simple "I'm fine, thank you" 's. I still pressed further in my little "interrogation" of how he felt. No matter how many times Ivan would smile that beautiful smile, I knew he didn't feel "fine." He was in pain, and we both knew it._

_The doctor,coughed; signalling it was time to recieve the "big news."_

_" ... Are you ready to hear the news?" He acknowledged us in a very monotonous voice, as if he didn't want to give away any hints. Ivan and I nodded, eager to hear what had to say._

_"I'm sorry to say this, but...Ivan needs his legs to be amputated. Up to just below the knee." pointed to where they would need to be cut off on his own legs. I glanced at Ivan, reading his facial expression. As soon as the doctor mentioned amputating his legs, his inquisitive expression was replaced by a stubborn, angry look._

_"I know it's going to be hard...But at least you'll get better, right ?"_

_He reluctantly nodded. "Better. Not good, but better."_

_"No." Ivan's tone of voice changed from pained to angry. "I'm not going to let you chop off my legs."_

_"Just below the knee, . It'll really help-"_

_"I'm not going to let you chop off my legs!" He repeated, louder this time. "I know I'm going to die! I'd rather be buried in my coffin whole than be buried with only half of my body! You're not cutting off my legs, and that's final!"_

* * *

"I'm sorry I couldn't persuade you to think otherwise." I apologized to Ivan.

He was lying on his deathbed, and he knew it. He looked hurt, not only by my words, but physically. He took deep breaths, slowly, as his IV continued to run.

"No need to apologize, Yao." He took another deep breath and continued. "I'm still happy with my decision."

He smiled his beautiful grin at me again. The beauty it casted on his facial expression almost made me forget he was dying.

"This is the end, huh, aru?" Our eyes still held contact with each other. I could feel the tears forming in the corner of my eyes as I watched him take a few more breaths.

"Seems like it. Are you ready, Yao?"

"Ready? Ready for what?"

"Ready for my passing. When someone dies, don't touch them directly afterwards. They may react violently and move around." He tried to swing his arms as an example, however he didn't want the IV to pull out. "Do you understand?"

I nodded.

"Are you ready, now?"

I shook my head "no" and clung onto Ivan (harder than I already was). I still wasn't ready to see Ivan, my soulmate, pass on. I glanced up, wiping away tears. I noticed Ivan's pained expression. He was obviously hurting badly. That was when I realized it was time for me to let him go. If he stayed any longer, I knew he'd _really, really_ be in pain. Reluctantly, I nodded my head.

"I think I'm ready."

Ivan smiled his beautiful smile once again, for the last time. "I love you, Yao."

"I love you, too."

Slowly, Ivan drew his final breath. As he exhaled, his face attained a peaceful look. I reached out to place my hand on his cheek, but quickly returned to it's place in my lap when I remembered his warning. I could almost see Ivan's soul fly away, like in a movie.

And finally, the waves crashed against the shore. The tide was not high, nor was it low. It was right in between; right in the middle. All the beachgoers who were swimming and enjoying their time with their friends wouldn't know. They wouldn't have known that right then, the same time one of them dived in the water, Ivan Braginski had become lost in between the tides.

* * *

***A/N: What did you think? Please tell me in a review. Rest in peace, Grandma. Wherever you are.**


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